Live While We're Young

A few days after the concert, Harry had text me telling me to get ready to go out with him. I decided not to look like I was trying too hard, so I just threw on a white playsuit that had a brows skinny belt wrapped around the waist. I wore a brown pair of flats, the same colour as the belt. The night looked warm, so I didn't think to take a jacket. I'd just finished doing my hair when there came a little knock at the door. A butterfly decided to swoop around my stomach before flying off again. I was actually quite looking forward to going with him.

'Anna? You there?' he called through the door.

'Yeah! Just a second!' I called back, sweeping my bag up off of the bed. I opened the door to see him grinning. His jaw dropped when he saw me. I was only wearing something I'd wear out to a day on the beach, what was his big reaction. As he stared, I blushed. I tried to avoid eye contact as my cheeks were turning scarlet, but when I returned my gaze, I saw he was smirking.

'You're blushing.'

'Yeah? You were gaping at me as if I was some animal in a zoo! Made me feel a little uncomfortable,' I rambled. He nodded, still smirking.

'You look great,' he smiled as I turned to shut the door and made sure I had my room card.

'Thanks. You don't look too bad yourself,' I winked. He was wearing a pair of black jeans and a white tee shirt. He had put on a black blazer over it. He had several bracelets around his left wrist and a long chain around his neck, tucked inside the top. I wasn't lying - he did look quite good.

'Shall we go?' he asked, offering me his arm. I took it and walked with him.

'Where are we going?' I asked when we'd left the hotel. It was getting quite dark but it was still moderately warm.

'Well, it's a good job that you're wearing flat shoes, I'll say that,' he grinned. I noticed we were headed for the beach. At the wall before we stepped onto the sand, I removed my shoes and held them in my hand.

The tide was steadily coming in as the gentle waves lapped the sand. We walked next to each other in a pleasant silence. As I slid my foot through the sand, Harry snaked his hand in mine, lacing them together. I looked up at him while he was looking out to the distant blue waves. I smiled, looking down at the ground again. I suddenly felt a heavy tug on my arm dragging me to the floor. My hand was still in Harry's - who had decided to lie down on the sand looking up to the sky. I had fallen next to him with my arms on his torso. He looked down his chest to me as I pushed the hair out of my eyes to be met with his gorgeous ones.

'You alright down there?' he chuckled. It took me a while to respond after staring at the stars reflecting in his eyes and his dimples that were showing when he smiled and talked.

'Oh, yeah. Could've told me I was going to go flying to the floor with you though,' I teased.

'Sorry, babe.'

I lay back next to him. I noticed our hands were still entwined but I did nothing to stop it. I stared up at the stars, watching them twinkle millions of miles above us. I sighed and smiled. I liked conversing with Harry, but this was a silence I found so friendly and relaxing, I didn't mind. There was nothing awkward about it.

'Look at the stars, look how they shine for you. And everything you do. Yeah, they were all yellow,' a soft voice drifted with the breeze from the waves so quietly. 'I came along, I wrote a song for you, and all the things you do. And it was called yellow.'

Harry was singing ever so quietly, drawing me in, making my ears hang on to every sweet note he sounded. I closed my eyes with a stupid smile on my face as he sang more of the song.

'So then I took my time. Oh, what a thing to've done. And it was all yellow.'

He carried on singing until the song had finished. I opened my eyes and turned my eyes to face him only to see he was already gazing at me. I felt my cheeks blush again. He stood up, and helped me up with him. We began to walk across the sea front again.

'You having a nice time?' he asked in an almost-whisper. I nodded in a sweet response. It finally hit me that we were still holding hands. I realised what I was doing. Without thinking anything through properly, I awkwardly tugged my hand away and held my other arm in it. I looked around squinting my eyes tightly together, silently kicking myself in my mind before looking back ahead.

'I want to take you somewhere,' he piped up after a second's silence.

'Where?' I asked, curiously.

'Follow me,' he smiled. I saw he made to take my hand again as he picked up pace, but I made it look as if I hadn't noticed by jogging at a fair pace to keep up with him. We reached the edge of the sand and I dropped my shoes to slide them back onto my feet.

Harry picked up pace and I slowly ran (a little faster than a jog, but slower than a sprint) to keep near him. He led me away from the sea-front, through some streets, down a few alleyways, and after about fifteen minutes, he stopped. We were in another alley, only there was no way out other than the way we had just ran in.

'Harry, wha-' I started, but Harry cut across me.

'Sssh!' he lightly hissed, before giving a gesture with his head and beginning to climb a metal, worn ladder. This seemed to be a secluded part of town. He climbed and when he was what seemed to be half way up, I placed my hands on the bars of the cool metal. I climbed higher and as I looked up I saw that Harry had disappeared. He must've been on the roof.

I emerged on the top of the roof. I stumbled a bit before looking up. A small gasp escaped my lips. As I looked, there were thousands of little lights flickering all over the sea front. Little cars rolled down the streets and people the size of Barbie dolls strolled away. Far in the distance, waves rolled in the glittering sea and as I looked up to the sky, another thousand lights smiled down at us. I faced Harry, whose eyes twinkled like the stars above.

'You like it?' he whispered.

'Its beautiful! How ever did you find this?'

'Just came to clear my head after the first concert. I thought of it when I was thinking where I could take you and now here we are.' He sat down on the flat roof looking over the land. I stepped forwards to sit next to him.

'The view is just breath-taking. Thank you,' I smiled.

'It's fine.' he nodded. He turned to face me. Our hands were touching again. His dimples were showing in the faint moonlight up on the rooftop. His curls sat perfectly around his head. His eyes glistened a warm glow. I was lost in his gaze. I hadn't even noticed we had drawn closer until our lips had touched and his hand was sliding my hair behind my ear, resting it on my cheek. I placed my one hand on his chest. His lips were full and sweet. I felt him smile during the kiss. It was far too long before I realised what was happening. My eyes burst open and I drew back slowly. My arm held my other to my side as I looked down awkwardly. I felt Harry lean back and take a breath.

'It's been a week you know,' he lightly began conversation.

'Since what?' I puzzled.

'Since our bet. Am I not annoying? Am I fun to be around?'

I smirked. 'Yeah, I suppose you are quite fun. You're not as annoying as I thought.' His fist pumped the air. 'So, what do you want as your prize?'

He turned and looked at me with a softness in his eyes I'd never before seen. 'You,' he uttered.

'Sorry?'

'You,' he repeated. I blinked back at him before he crashed his lips gently into mine. I had no hesitations. He bit my bottom lip and I happily let him deepen the kiss. My one hand found its way to the back of his neck while the other rested on his bicep. His arms snaked around me pulling me in. His sweet lips creating a moment I never wanted to end, yet knew it had to. If anything were to happen between us, it would cause a huge problem. I had a new feeling - one I hadn't felt in a long time. I wanted to be with him but knew if there was anything between us, it would result as trouble. After what happily felt like forever and a day, we pulled away into a harsh reality. My hands resting in place, as were his arms, I rested my forehead against his.

'You know the only reason I wanted to do this bet? Because you seemed really nice and you're so talented with what you do. I didn't like the fact I knew you thought I was an annoying seven-year-old you just want to clip around the ear. My intention was for us just to get to know each other and maybe become friends. But it's kind of gone further than that. Ever since the day on the boat. I wanted to be more than just friends. I want us to be together because I thought it was just a crush, but I don't think it is. I think I actually love you,' he rambled. A sad smile spread across my face.

'That's just the thing, Harry,' I whispered, pulling away and crossing my legs, watching my hands fall in my lap. I raised my eyes to see his puzzles face. 'You don't think, but you don't know. What's to say that in a week you get bored and throw me in the trash like an old photograph that you no longer want as a memory?'

'Why would you think that?' he asked, looking stunned. 'You always seem like you have this huge brick wall around you, that whenever anyone gets close, you sound the alarms and push then away again.

'How do you know I push them away?' I asked, defensively. He shrugged and I sighed. 'That wall has been built brick by brick, lie by lie. It's a horrible feeling, knowing that you truly want to trust someone, but find it hard. You don't seem to have ever had the problem. And anyway, even if you're different, it will still be ten times worse because of your fame and popularity - your fans!'

'We could still be together? Nobody has to know.'

I looked up, eyes wide. I saw him smiling, grinning hopefully with starry eyes. A smile cracked across my face and I drew my arms around his neck, holding him tightly and he pulled me into his warm body.